Blood Red Roses
by Alshoruzen
Summary: One was the charismatic court magician, the other the young prince everyone ignored. It was a forbidden romance in a kingdom on the verge of war. Their story wasn't a fairytale, but they dreamed of a happy ending. KaiShin
1. Seed

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

Pairing: KaitoxShinichi

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Fantasy

Summary: One was the charismatic court magician, the other the young prince everyone ignored. It was a forbidden romance in a kingdom on the verge of war. Their story wasn't a fairytale, but they dreamed of a happy ending.

* * *

><p><strong>Blood Red Roses<strong>

**Chapter 1 - Seed**

The moon was full that night when they first laid eyes on one another. Kuroba Kaito, newly appointed court magician, had just parted ways from the servant who'd been assigned to show him around the grounds. Having decided to begin his work by placing a few new shields around the castle, he'd been strolling along the open-air walkways of the garden when he'd spotted a slender shadow standing in the gazebo by the lake in the center of the rose garden. Curious, he had made his way over on silent feet. As he drew nearer, the shadow resolved itself into the figure of a young man around his own age. The stranger stood a little shorter than himself, with a slim frame and black hair that was much better groomed than his own wild locks but for a single tuft that curled up cutely at the back. He was looking out over the lake with a wistful expression in beautiful, clear blue eyes.

Like gems, the magician thought.

Coming to a stop a few steps away from the stranger, he cleared his throat. "Excuse me."

The boy started and turned quickly, gaze sharpening as it swept quickly over Kaito before his expression morphed into a frown. "Who are you and how did you get in here?"

Kaito raised an eyebrow at the accusing tone. "My name is Kuroba Kaito, and I'm the court magician. That means I'm in charge of this place's magical defenses. How about you?"

"Oh, I heard a magician was coming today," the boy murmured, realization dawning. Then he bowed slightly. "My name is Shinichi. It's nice to meet you."

"Shinichi…" He'd heard that name before. "Ah, so you're his Majesty's son then, am I right?"

A shadow flickered across the other's face, but it vanished in a second to be replaced by a polite smile. "Yes, I am. I hope you enjoy your time here."

"I'm sure I will." Kaito smiled back, though inside he was frowning. He didn't like that look on the other's face. It was cool and composed and entirely fake.

Shinichi nodded and excused himself, turning to leave, but a strong hand caught his arm and pulled him back.

"Hey there, wait a moment."

Taken aback by the unexpected gesture, Shinichi turned back to face him, surprise and confusion evident in his features. "Did…you need something?"

Letting his smile broaden into a grin, the magician slid his hand down Shinichi's arm to catch his hand. Lifting it, he bent and placed a kiss on Shinichi's knuckles. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I am still somewhat unfamiliar with the capital. Perhaps, when you have some time, you could show me around?"

He was rewarded by the sight of a blush spreading over the prince's pale cheeks as he nodded.

"I—of course."

"Would tomorrow afternoon be all right?"

Shinichi nodded again mutely.

"Great! Then I'll meet you here tomorrow after lunch."

Later, as he headed back to his own quarters, Kaito smiled to himself, the image of that blush and a pair of wondering, blue eyes replaying over and over in his mind. He liked that expression much better. It didn't look so lonely.

It was strange when he thought about it. No one knew much about the Kudos' only son. Most people in the kingdom knew he existed, of course, but no one seemed to know what he was like. Kaito had heard the rumors that the boy had beautiful eyes, but that was about it. From what he'd heard, the boy was rarely seen by anyone, though he didn't know why. There were rumors about that too. Some said he was ill, others that he didn't care about the kingdom's affairs, etc. Now that he'd seen the boy, Kaito had the feeling that none of the rumors knew what they were talking about. Although he supposed he couldn't make much of a call after just one meeting.

Well, he was looking forward to finding out.

-0-

At the beginning, Kudo Shinichi hadn't really known what to think of the new court magician. He'd heard the newcomer was the son of Kuroba Toichi, the man who'd been called the greatest magician the world had ever seen, and he had originally been looking forward to meeting the man. But then he'd had that argument with his father and forgotten all about the magician's imminent arrival. Then again, by that time he hadn't really wanted to meet or talk to anyone. Not that there was anyone to talk to.

There never was.

Sometimes he wondered where he'd gone wrong.

When he'd been little, he'd spent a lot of time with his mother. She loved dressing him up in a variety of "cute outfits" and taking him out to parties or meetings with friends where she could show him off. As he grew older and less willing to be dolled up and shown off, however, she'd drifted to other hobbies like the theater. She still attended a lot of parties and spent long hours with the other court ladies, but she rarely if ever asked him to go with her anymore. There were times when he could go days without actually even seeing her.

The situation with his father wasn't any better. He used to look up to the man. He was smart and good with words, and when Shinichi had been little he'd thought the man knew everything. Now he knew that no one knew everything, but that wasn't the problem. It was the way his father spent so much time on pointless things like countryside vacations and his wife's parties when he should have been tending to the kingdom's affairs. His councilors were always having to hunt him down, and often it was to no avail. Oh, the man still dealt with the major problems when they came up, but the rest of the time he devoted his attention to finding ways to slip away from work. It drove Shinichi nuts!

In an attempt to make up for what he saw as his father's laziness, he'd started doing his own research on current affairs and taking his notes and conclusions to council meetings. He'd wanted to be helpful. But the councilors looked at him askance whenever he came. They would nod and smile and listen as he spoke then leave and do whatever it was they had originally planned. He'd gone to his father about it, and the man had told him that it was only natural. He was still young and inexperienced. So he tried writing letters of advice with detailed explanations of his thoughts to the various courtiers and councilors. They complained to his father and he was told that while he could sit in on meetings, he should let the people who knew what they were doing work and keep his thoughts to himself until he was ready (though ready by whose standards, he didn't explain. Why did it seem like everyone insisted on thinking he was still a child?).

Lately, he'd found himself wondering what the hell he was even doing here. He wanted to be helpful, but no one wanted his help. No one cared what he did with himself as long as he didn't try to actually _do_ anything of significance. He'd even seriously considered running away from home, but a sense of responsibility prevented him from actually acting on the thought.

So he spent his days in the library, the gardens, or sitting in on meetings, formulating ideas he wrote down just in case the day ever came when someone would actually want to hear them.

Kaito's arrival, however, changed everything.

-0-

_ It began with the city tour._

-0-

"What's up with the glasses?"

"Oh, um, it makes me feel more comfortable if people don't know who I am. So, if you don't mind, while we're out, could you please call me Conan?"

"All right, but I think it's a little strange that you feel the need to hide."

Shinichi shrugged. "I guess it's just an old habit. I had a bit of an accident when I was seven. After that, my parents decided I should stay on castle grounds unless I was with them. But eventually they got busier with other things. The guards wouldn't let me out without them though."

"So you started sneaking out?"

Shinichi flushed a little but his expression was defiant. "I'm not going to spend my whole life behind these walls. Besides, I'm allowed to go out by myself now, I just—got used to the disguise."

Kaito laughed. "Of course not. I'll keep your secret. But what was the accident?"

"I don't remember it all that well," Shinichi admitted as he led the way to one of the castle's back gates. "I think I was kidnapped."

Kaito's grin morphed into an incredulous stare. "You call that an accident? I'd say it's somewhat more serious than that."

"Like I said, it was a long time ago."

The careless way he dismissed the issue struck Kaito as a bit weird, but he let the matter drop for the time being. For now he listened as Shinichi began to point out and describe various important buildings and landmarks to him. Around them, the city bustled, totally oblivious to their presence. Every now and then someone who seemed to recognize Shinichi would wave and call a greeting, but they only ever called him Conan.

There was the bookstore owner, an old man who went by the name Agasa, who came out of his store to tell Shinichi he'd held on to the last copy of a new novel for him. He'd asked after Shinichi's parents, whom he seemed to think were textile traders. When they parted ways with the old man, they were ambushed by a trio of kids who wanted Shinichi to play ball with them.

"I'm sorry, but I'm supposed to be showing my friend around today," Shinichi began only to be cut off by the magician.

"Actually, let's play ball. It should be fun. You three don't mind if I join in, do you?"

"Of course not!" the little girl, Ayumi, beamed. "It's more fun with more people."

Shinichi gave the magician a surprised look but didn't argue.

It seemed, Kaito thought later as they turned their steps homeward, that Shinichi was living two lives rather than one. There was the quiet, polite prince with the sad eyes he'd seen last night, and then there was this Conan character, who was rather more cheerful but just as false in many ways as that polite smile he'd detested yesterday. It was odd and unexpected, but it intrigued him. He decided that they were going to be friends.

-0-

_ One afternoon became two then three. Soon, Shinichi found himself spending almost all his free time with the magician when the latter didn't have his own work to tend to._

-0-

"I was inspecting the city boundaries when I found this place last week. So what do you think?"

"It…has a nice view," Shinichi said dubiously, his eyes flickering from said nice view to the plate in front of him and back. This little restaurant was nestled at the corner of a rather tall building and they could see half the city laid out below them outside that window. It was truly breathtaking. The plate, however, was breathtaking for entirely different reasons.

Kaito hid a grin behind his mug. "So aren't you going to try the food?"

Hesitantly, the blue-eyed boy picked up his fork and poked the heap of nameless weirdness that the magician had ordered for him. "I'm sorry, but are you sure this is edible?"

One dark eyebrow rose. "Don't you trust me?"

Shinichi didn't buy the wounded tone of voice for a second. If he'd learned anything about Kaito in these last few months, it was that he was as good an actor as a magician—that, and he had a wicked sense of humor that found amusement in the strangest places and the mind of a master prankster to go with it. The head of the castle guard was still peering around corners and jumping at shadows after what Kaito had done to him last week under the pretext of testing the man's alertness. Needless to say, the poor man hadn't passed the test. On the flip side, he really had become more alert. Although the degree of paranoia he was currently exhibiting just made Shinichi feel sorry for him.

He looked back down at his plate. It was heaped high with something brown and mushy. It smelled okay—faintly sweetish and chilled. Appearance wise, however, it left much to be desired. Sticking his fork into it, he lifted a chunk of whatever it was. Long, sticky strands of it trailed back down to the plate. He grimaced and lowered it again.

"I ate mine," the magician pointed out encouragingly. "I guarantee it's good. Just trust me."

"Alright. Fine." Bracing himself, Shinichi picked up the sticky forkful again, closed his eyes, and opened his mouth. Even then, it took him several seconds before he could make himself put the fork in his mouth.

On the other side of the table, Kaito found his gaze being drawn to the thin strands of glistening, brown caramel that trailed over Shinichi's lips. He felt the sudden urge to lean over and lick them. He shook his head. What was he thinking?

At that moment, blue eyes popped open in wonder and Kaito smirked in triumph.

"So? What do you think?"

"It's…actually pretty good." Surprisingly, Shinichi added to himself.

The knowing gleam in the magician's eyes suggested he knew what Shinichi was thinking. "You see, what'd I tell you? I happen to have excellent taste."

Shinichi laughed. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Good. So next time you'll trust me then."

"I will."

"Promise?"

Shinichi paused only a moment before deciding it couldn't hurt. "Promise."

"Good." The magician watched as Shinichi finished off his dessert (his own having long since disappeared down the bottomless pit of his stomach) before speaking again. "You know, you have a beautiful smile. You should show it more often."

Shinichi blinked across the table at him then blushed as the meaning of the words sank in. "Um, thanks, I guess."

Kaito burst out laughing.

-0-

_ Kaito had always prided himself on his ability to anticipate outcomes and manipulate people and situations to achieve his goals. It was a talent he'd inherited from his father, and he was damned proud of it. But this feeling… He hadn't expected this. It worried him._

-0-

They were playing ball in the streets with Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko again when a trio of masked men came bursting out of an alley followed by a loud cry of, "I've been robbed!"

Several things happened at the same moment. Shinichi, who'd just caught the ball one of the boys had kicked, dropped it and kicked, sending it rocketing into the leading robber's head. The man let out a cry of pain and toppled over, dropping the case he'd been carrying. The second man tripped over his fallen comrade and he would have fallen on top of a frozen Ayumi if Kaito hadn't dove forward and scooped her up and out of harm's way. The third leapt over the two with an angry yell and lunged at Shinichi, sending him crashing to the ground with a yelp. Light gleamed off steel and his cry turned pained.

Kaito saw red.

An instant later a bolt of lightning cracked the air, blasting the robber off Shinichi and across the street where he crashed into a building wall with a sickening crunch. His knife splashed in a molten puddle of metal on the cobbles. A small crowd was now gathering and several people gaped. Shinichi sat up clutching his left arm.

Kaito hurried to his side, frowning at the blood seeping between his fingers. "How bad is it?"

"It's just a scratch," Shinichi assured him before he suddenly went pale. At the same time, someone screamed.

All heads turned to the man who'd tripped earlier. He had gotten back to his feet and seized the nearest child, who turned out to be Mitsuhiko. Pressing a dagger to the boy's throat, he glared around at the frozen audience.

"None of you move!" he warned, beginning to back down the street away from where Kaito was helping Shinichi to his feet. "Move and I'll kill 'im!"

No one moved. The whole street seemed to be holding its breath. One step, then two, then five.

Once he was a dozen yards away, the man suddenly dropped Mitsuhiko, turned, and bolted. Shinichi immediately chased after him, calling to the onlookers to call the guard.

Cursing, Kaito ran after him. He'd already been forming a lightning spell, but now Shinichi was in the way. Putting on a burst of speed, he caught up to Shinichi and grabbed his uninjured arm in a vice grip, unceremoniously yanking him back so hard that Shinichi stumbled and ended up sitting on the ground. His other hand shot forward, hurling the crackling bolt of electrical energy he'd been gathering. It caught the running man square in the back, knocking him right off his feet and carrying him another dozen steps down the street before he landed in a graceless sprawl, out cold and smoldering gently.

-0-

_ When he'd had time to think about it later, Kaito realized that it hadn't only been the robber he was angry at. He'd been angry at Shinichi too. Not for getting hurt, of course not, but because he had deliberately put himself in danger by chasing after the armed robber. It wasn't the first time he'd done something so reckless either, if Kaito was to believe some of the stories the kids had told him._

_ He understood that Shinichi had a strong sense of responsibility, but that didn't mean he had to be reckless. And yet, at the same time, that selfless determination to do what was right was one of the things he admired about his new friend._

_ Friend… He knew by now that that wasn't quite the right word for the way he thought of Shinichi, but he still hadn't decided how he was going to deal with that. He'd always had a knack for reading people, but he honestly wasn't sure how Shinichi felt about him. He suspected Shinichi himself didn't know either. The boy was, he had found, rather clueless about such things. It was cute, but not very helpful._

-0-

"Hey, who's this?"

Shinichi looked up from the library desk to see Kaito holding up a small painting. He blanched. "Where did you find that?!"

"What do you mean? It was in the castle gallery. The frame was chipped so I took it out to get it fixed. So? Who is it? Do you have a sister I don't know about?"

Shinichi groaned. "No, it was mom."

Kaito did a double take. "What? But your mother's hair isn't black."

"No, no, that's not what I meant. I mean it was mom's fault. She used to like to dress me up when I was little."

"…You mean this is _you_?"

Realizing his mistake, Shinichi stammered a hasty denial, but it was already too late.

"Aww, you were such a cute little princess~!"

-0-

_ To Shinichi's horror, the nickname stuck, though Kaito was thoughtful enough not to use it when anyone else might hear. After a while though, it stopped bothering him. Instead, he found himself feeling…strange whenever Kaito said it. Warm and a little giddy._

_ He didn't understand it._

**-TBC-**


	2. Sew

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

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><p><strong>Blood Red Roses<strong>

**Chapter 2 - Sew**

_Shinichi was, Kaito thought, a strange cross between knowledgeable and naïve. He could rattle off in ridiculous detail the history over the last fifty years of every named settlement in the kingdom including their annual crop yield and rainfall. He knew that some valley near the kingdom's southern border that Kaito had only ever heard about in passing had once been a salt water lake and that cats featured more prominently in the kingdom's western ghost stories while dogs were more common in the east. Hundreds of random facts big and small all tucked away behind those brilliant blue eyes._

_ But when it came to people, things were different._

-0-

"That was quite the row you had with those councilors today."

Shinichi looked up from where he was seated on the grassy lawn by the lake in the rose garden with his arms wrapped around his knees. He wasn't really surprised to see Kaito standing beside him. The magician was the only person who would come looking for him, let alone know where to find him.

When he didn't say anything, Kaito sat down as well, giving him an amused smile. "Now, now, cute as you are when you're sulking, it really isn't worth it."

Shinichi blushed and looked away. "I'm not sulking."

"Oh? Then what _are_ you doing?"

"I was just…thinking."

"About the argument."

Blue eyes darkened.

"You shouldn't take it so personally," the magician advised. "I know you meant well, but not many people appreciate finding out that they were wrong—even fewer appreciate being proven as such in front of their peers. It's only natural that they get a bit snappish."

"But it was the truth," Shinichi pointed out as though that should make everything alright. Looking at him, Kaito could tell that he really believed that was the case. To Shinichi, if it was true then there was no such thing as something that shouldn't be said.

"You're too honest for politics, Princess."

"That doesn't make any sense. It should be about what's best, and that means knowing the truth. How can we make the right decisions if people refuse to acknowledge the truth? And don't call me that," he added as an afterthought.

The magician only shook his head, smiling. "Like I said, you're too honest for this kind of work. Honesty is admirable, but it isn't a survival trait in this world. Do you really think those courtiers are thinking about what's best for everyone? No, my dear, what they're thinking about is what's best for them. And I'm never going to stop calling you that."

"But some of them have to care," Shinichi reasoned, frowning. "It's their—our—job."

"Maybe there are some who share your sentiments," Kaito agreed diplomatically, observing the way Shinichi's face had flushed slightly from the strength of his emotions. "But a reputation matters a lot when it comes to the court. That means keeping their mistakes and anything else unsavory tightly under wraps."

Shinichi's lips pressed together into a thin line and for a moment it looked like he was considering going to find the council again to give them a lecture on what proper behavior should really mean for people of their stature. But then his shoulders sagged as he realized that it wouldn't change a thing. So instead he lay back on the grass and traced the clouds with his eyes.

Kaito raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. He could see how hard Shinichi was always trying to fulfill his duties and do the right thing, and it made him a little angry the way the councilors and the king alike never took Shinichi seriously. The boy might be young, but Kaito was ready to bet he knew more and thought more than half those councilors combined. But unlike Shinichi, he knew that the kingdom's nobility were, for the most part, a self-important, self-centered lot with too much pride and not enough common sense.

When he looked at it that way, it wasn't at all surprising that no one in the court appreciated Shinichi's efforts.

The king was a smart but lazy man who left as much of his work to his council as he could get away with. What he couldn't hand over to someone else, he liked to put off until the last minute when the councilors were pounding down his door. Left with all that power in their hands, the councilors were almost always fighting amongst themselves, striving to make themselves more important. Even the ones who did care about the people mostly cared for the people in their own area and were all too quick to snatch at anything that looked like unequal treatment and brandish it like a weapon. There was no place in that glitter-coated feeding frenzy for Shinichi's innocently idealistic point of view. It could only annoy people.

Personally though, Kaito found it rather endearing. It was so rare to meet people these days who really truly believed in the goodness of the world and the people in it, especially with the wars starting up again in the north..

Kaito wanted to protect that innocent trust.

Snapping his fingers, he summoned a pink rose from a nearby bush. Holding it where he knew Shinichi could see, he concentrated. The color faded from the petals then the stem and the leaves. Soon, he was holding a pure white rose. And not just any white rose but one whose stem and leaves too were the color of fresh snow. For his finishing touch, he made the thorns vanish. Then he proffered the blossom to Shinichi with his most charming smile, indigo eyes twinkling with mirth and something more.

"A flower to match my dear Princess. Now let's put the morning behind us and avail ourselves of this lovely day and all its splendors, shall we?"

-0-

_ It wasn't the first rose Kaito had ever given him, and it certainly wasn't the last. What Shinichi couldn't figure out was why._

_ Of course, he knew many traditions and customs revolving around the giving of flowers. They could be offered as congratulations for happy occasions or work well done such as a performance successfully given. They could be a show of respect or condolence at more somber events like funerals. They could be signs of appreciation, admiration, forgiveness, happiness, sorrow, affection, loyalty, love—_

_And any zillion of other things that humans throughout time had ever wished to express._

_So what did the magician mean with his gifts? Because Shinichi was certain that Kaito wasn't the kind of person who did things for no reason. The problem was that Kaito was also the kind of person who never explained his intentions._

-0-

"The festival?" Blue eyes blinked in mild confusion over the top of a massive tome.

They were met with a broad, bright grin. "Yep. The summer festival. It begins tomorrow."

"I know it starts tomorrow," Shinichi replied, lowering his book to the library table and clasping his hands atop the heavy, yellowing pages. "I was just wondering why you brought it up all of a sudden."

"I brought it up because I wanted to ask if you'd like to go join the festivities on the morrow."

Shinichi blinked again then looked down.

"I'm…not really supposed to. There's going to be a banquet here at the castle."

"True, but it's not like you really need to be there."

Shinichi had to admit that that was true. It was highly unlikely that he would be missed if he chose to skip out on the banquet.

"Come on, it'll be fun," the magician coaxed. "And an educational experience, since it'll be your first time there and all."

Kaito smiled to himself as he watched Shinichi think about it. He could see that the boy wanted to go. A misplaced sense of duty was a weak argument against Shinichi's natural curiosity and longing for a taste of the outside world. It was only a matter of time before he decided that the reasons to accept Kaito's invitation far outweighed the reasons to attend a banquet where his presence was unnecessary.

"Okay," Shinichi said a few moments later, raising his gaze resolutely to meet Kaito's. "I'll go."

"Good. I'll pick you up tomorrow before the banquet and we can leave over the back wall. I'll make sure the guards don't see a thing."

-0-

_ Security around the castle for special occasions was always tight. Kaito himself had spent a large portion of the morning adding several layers to the protective spells he maintained around the grounds, especially around the areas of the castle that were meant to remain private. They couldn't have unwanted guests taking the opportunity to slip in and cause trouble. Being the caster of the spells, however, Kaito himself could slip past them with ease. Bringing Shinichi with him made things a little more complicated, but not by much. He was, after all, a master of his craft._

_ As for the guards, dealing with them was a simple matter of misdirection._

_ As he led Shinichi from shadow to shadow, Kaito wondered if he was being a bad influence on his princess. But he dismissed the thought almost as soon as it came. Shinichi spent far too much of his life embroiled in the stiff and unfriendly affairs of the court or studying alone amidst the silent walls of the castle library. He needed to get out more, not just to observe in disguise like he did when he wandered the city as Conan but to really live it for himself—to experience those simple joys of living for and as himself without the burden of duty he always seemed to be imposing upon himself._

_ And Kaito wanted to be the one to show him._

_ The open awe on Shinichi's face as he gazed around at all the lights and colorful, bustling stalls filled Kaito's chest with the warmth of accomplishment._

-0-

"What are they doing?"

Noticing that Shinichi had stopped walking, Kaito paused and followed his gaze to a nearby crowd. "They're catching goldfish. It's a common festival game."

"Game?"

"Yep. See those paper scoops? The idea is you pay the man running the game for however many scoops you want. Then you can use those to try and scoop the goldfish from the tank. If you can successfully scoop up a goldfish and drop it into your bucket then you can keep it. The more you catch, the more you keep. But the scoops themselves are pretty delicate, so it's also likely that your scoop will rip or dissolve before you catch anything."

"I see." Shinichi studied the people crowded around the tank with interest. He could see that they all had small buckets beside them. The tank itself was filled with small, darting flecks of gold that he now recognized as tiny fish.

"Can we try it?" Shinichi asked, glancing up at Kaito.

The magician hesitated for an instant before shrugging. "If you want to."

Missing the note of unease in his companion's voice, Shinichi made his way up to the side of the tank and waved at the man running the booth. The man smiled and bustled over. Shinichi passed him a few coins and received three paper scoops and a small bucket in return. Choosing an empty spot amidst the other people trying to get themselves some fish, Shinichi set the bucket down by his feet and looked into the water. From a distance, the tank had looked absolutely full of fish, but now that he was right up next to it he could see that that was just an optical illusion.

While there were indeed a lot of fish in the tank, they were very small and moved extremely quickly. There was plenty of open water around each glimmering, golden body. A little boy let out a disappointed cry on the other side of the tank as his scoop split and the fish he'd just thought he'd caught fell back into the water with a splash.

"It's much harder than it looks," Kaito remarked from beside him. "It's not just about speed."

"Can you show me how?"

Kaito hesitated. Damn, he'd stuck his foot in that one. Indigo eyes flickered down to the little critters in the water and back up again to Shinichi's expectant face. For as long as Kaito could remember, he'd always hated fish. They were disgusting, slimy little creatures—and those eyes! Round and bulgy and soulless like balls of jelly. When he'd been younger he hadn't even been able to stand looking at the things. Over the years he'd managed to curb the urge to leap away when he saw a fish, but touching them…that was a different matter altogether.

But Shinichi was looking at him with those eyes—those beautiful eyes free for once of all worry, filled as they were with the joy of new experiences—

He swallowed and gingerly took the paper scoop Shinichi was holding. Well, here goes nothing, he thought. He looked down at the repulsive little critters darting about their watery home. He cleared his mind and focused on the way they moved rather than what they were, braced himself, and readied the paper scoop.

One. Two. Three.

Everything went smoothly until the fish was almost to the bucket. That was when the little, golden creature made a sudden energetic bid for freedom and flipped out of the paper scoop. It fell right onto Kaito's lap.

With a strangled yell, the magician swatted the goldfish off his lap as he leapt to his feet. It fell and started wriggling helplessly on the dry, hard dirt.

Shinichi scrambled to scoop the poor, flopping creature off the hard ground and drop it into his bucket. It fell in with a soft plop and immediately began to swim in slightly sluggish circles. Relieved that the fish would live, Shinichi looked up and around only to find that Kaito had vanished. Now utterly confused, he stood up, thanked the booth's owner—who was staring at him and the place where Kaito had been like he thought they might be contagious—and left in search of the magician.

He wandered from stall to stall, scanning passing faces for his friend. All the while his stomach twisted as he berated himself for asking Kaito to show him how to catch the fish. Clearly Kaito didn't like them very much. Well, that was probably the understatement of a lifetime. Would Kaito be upset with him?

He was just starting to wonder if the magician might have actually gone back to the castle without him when a hand fell on his shoulder. He jumped and spun around to find the very person he'd been thinking about standing before him with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry about ditching you like that," Kaito said before Shinichi could even open his mouth. "It was rather impolite of me."

"You don't have to apologize," Shinichi said quickly. "If anything, I should. I mean, you're…not mad, are you?"

Kaito blinked, completely taken aback. "What? Why would I be mad?"

"You wouldn't have had to handle that fish if I hadn't asked you to."

"Well, I could've said no. It's my fault, not yours, so don't go blaming yourself over it. Understand?"

Smiling a bit in relief, Shinichi nodded. Then the smile faded into a slight frown. "Why didn't you just tell me you didn't like fish?"

The magician laughed, scratching at the back of his head. "It's your first festival. I want you to enjoy it."

"Oh." Shinichi blushed, feeling both touched and guilty. "Thank you, but I think I would much rather we chose things to do that we both enjoy from now on."

Laughing, Kaito ruffled his hair before draping an arm over his shoulders. "Right. Well, how about starting with something to eat?"

-0-

_ It was those moments together away from the confines of their duties that they both cherished the most. To the young prince, it was in those moments that he truly understood that—for perhaps the first time in his life—he wasn't alone. He had found a friend who truly cared for him as he was. To the magician, those moments were a harbinger of things to come, for he knew now that he had found a treasure here. One that he intended to keep._

-0-

They had returned from the festival just as silently as they'd gone.

Standing once again amidst the roses of the garden, Shinichi found himself wishing that they were still out amidst the stalls and the crowds in all their festival cheer. But the night was growing late to the point of being early, and for him that meant stepping back into the stillness of the castle grounds.

"Thank you," he said softly, turning to face the magician. "For taking me to the festival."

Catching Shinichi's hand, Kaito brought it up to his lips and brushed a kiss across his knuckles. "Anything for you, Princess."

**-TBC-**


End file.
